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Could the RTBA (Read the Bills Act) really work?

Started by Q.Random 1 year ago 4 Comments

The RTBA: Read the Bills Act
http://www.downsizedc.org/read_the_laws.shtml
would make it a requirement that proposed legislation be posted to the internet for 7 days prior to a vote in Congress and that the bills actually be read in Congress before the vote. Sounds like a good idea. Of course, it wouldn't be possible to have gargantuan complicated bills so Congress would need to change the way they approach the task of legislation. Could the RTBA work? Would it improve the way our government functions? Should it be proposed at the State government level, too?

Tags: congress, democracy, laws, legislation, rtba

1.	A Sad Testament To The State Of US Politics I mean, shouldn't this be a basic, obvious responsibility of our elected representatives? Add a comment	Vote! 24 votes 475 pts
2.	Stop Being LAZY! This can work. make it work. Only when Americans are personally affected to they take action. This makes sense, anything less is UNPATRIOTIC! Add a comment	Vote! 14 votes 266 pts
3.	Yes laws MUST be read. Less laws is a good thing! If this leads to less legislation, that would force congress to focus on the more important issues. Citizens and groups could read... [show more] If this leads to less legislation, that would force congress to focus on the more important issues. Citizens and groups could read bills that affected them and we could have (Ta-Da!) a public debate of the issues. [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 14 votes 251 pts
4.	No more Patriot Acts! This is the best way to prevent another act like the Patriot Act. If the American people were allowed to actually read it before ... [show more] This is the best way to prevent another act like the Patriot Act. If the American people were allowed to actually read it before it was passed, the uproar as a result would have made legistlators think twice before passing it. This could allow for significant debate among the American people that would actually help the government better meet the needs of the people. Yes, it may be up to the legislators to make these descisions, and should be their responsibility, but sometimes (most times) their judgement is clouded and limited by special intrest groups, lobbyists, and other pressures. The American people are not so pressured and can speak more freely. [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 13 votes 236 pts
5.	Good luck, but this just isn't a viable option. This sounds great in theory. But in practice, things just aren't read. If the lawmakers in our country had to read or had to sit t... [show more] This sounds great in theory. But in practice, things just aren't read. If the lawmakers in our country had to read or had to sit through someone else reading the extent of every bill that crosses the table, even more nothing would be done by this government. Let's keep our fingers crossed for the day when we actually have a government that is required to know what it is they are voting for before doing so. [show less] 7 Comments	Vote! 11 votes 214 pts
6.	Can't hurt anything. Let's do it. Even if it doesn't work for the majority, it would work for the minority of us who like to know what's going on _BEFORE_ it happens, not after. Add a comment	Vote! 9 votes 165 pts
7.	It would work until they figure out how to get around it. (No description provided) Add a comment	Vote! 6 votes 111 pts
8.	Vote this in 100% If this actually passed, it would slow congress down at first. But in the long run you would see bills get shorter and there woul... [show more] If this actually passed, it would slow congress down at first. But in the long run you would see bills get shorter and there would be less chance that some one could sneak something into law. But sadly, this will never pass, too many in Government are lazy and don't want to read the bills they sign into law. [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 5 votes 86 pts
9.	Sunshine is the best disinfectant. - Justice L. Brandeis Quote from Louis D. Brandeis, Supreme Court Justice 1916-1939 Add a comment	Vote! 5 votes 83 pts
10.	Bills will be a lot less wordy anyway. I don't think we'd see too many more 1000+ page bills coming out of congress. Add a comment	Vote! 5 votes 81 pts
11.	Utterly Unrealistic Lawmakers can possibly be expected to read all of the bills submitted to Congress due to the sheer volume of pages. Like other or... [show more] Lawmakers can possibly be expected to read all of the bills submitted to Congress due to the sheer volume of pages. Like other organizations, they have developed a system to deal with this problem of information overload - namely, subdivision of labor into committees. They rely on the committee members to read the legislation (who should read the legislation), and summarize the substance to the legislative body at large. Requiring each member of Congress to read every piece of legislation would require the reading of millions of pages a year by each member- a waste of time and resources. This is analogous to requiring you as an individual read each online privacy statement and licensing agreement for each website that you register with. Nobody I know does this, even those capable of understanding these things -- because it's a waste of time -- information overload. This solution is a simplistic band-aid to a complicated issue. [show less] 1 Comment	Vote! 4 votes 75 pts
12.	In part, yes; the part about internet publishing While we hope our representatives will read legislation, they simply don't have the time or the interest. Instead, we can rely on ... [show more] While we hope our representatives will read legislation, they simply don't have the time or the interest. Instead, we can rely on each other to find the truly onus aspects of a bill and then use the internet to disperse our displeasure. I suspect the digg effect would be quite handy in turning around the quality of legislation. [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 4 votes 61 pts
13.	They should start by reading the Constitution first! If lawmakers would realize that the constitution exist as a set of guidelines for the type of laws that are legal in the first pla... [show more] If lawmakers would realize that the constitution exist as a set of guidelines for the type of laws that are legal in the first place, this contry would be MUCH better off. As an example, in 2005 Congress passed a bill that grave the oil companys billions of dollars in tax breaks in the new Energy bill. Then in 2006 ExxonMobile and the lot made RECORD high profits. Coincides, yeah right. But where in the constituion does it say "We the people, service Big Corperate Businesses?" Nowhere. Maybe I'm a little off topic but, Congress needs to start realizing that it's job is to SERVE THE PEOPLE of the U.S.A not SCREW them. We're a capitalistic society, it makes no sense to give tax breaks to big corporations, and raise the taxes of the average worker. If consumers had more money, by not being taxed to death, they could spend more money, raising corperations revenue, then the corporations could be fairly taxed as the Constitution outlines they should be, and our econemy would be all the stronger for it. So no, it won't help, because Congress still works for the wrong people in the end. [show less] 1 Comment	Vote! 3 votes 59 pts
14.	Could be good, could be bad. It would almost certainly kill pork barrel spending (good!), but it might also lead to a blogocracy, in which a few political blog... [show more] It would almost certainly kill pork barrel spending (good!), but it might also lead to a blogocracy, in which a few political bloggers like myself hold all the power. (bad.) [show less] 7 Comments	Vote! 3 votes 56 pts
15.	Other Initiatives Like This Have Failed Does anyone remember the "Plain Speech" initiative? This would have been a law that would have required all bills to be translate... [show more] Does anyone remember the "Plain Speech" initiative? This would have been a law that would have required all bills to be translated into "Voter understandable" language and made viewable to the public simple by asking. Or the "Contract With America" that was supposed to have made members of Congress "The same as every other American Citizen". Bottom line the people who propose this kind of law might have the best intentions, but since most Governmental Actors do not care what we think between elections this kind of feel good law will have no teeth whatsoever by the time it gets to a vote. [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 3 votes 53 pts
16.	Ideally, yeah. Bring it on. Love the Downsize DC. Go Jim Bab I'm a member at Downsize DC and their practical approach to political advocacy grounds itself not on party lines, but true freedom... [show more] I'm a member at Downsize DC and their practical approach to political advocacy grounds itself not on party lines, but true freedom. I just hope there will eventually be enough public support to remind our public officials that they are there to work for, and represent us. [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 3 votes 48 pts
17.	Yes, and goes toward another possible solution. A friend of mine said once that Congress should spend more time reviewing legislation and renewing out-of-date issues than passing... [show more] A friend of mine said once that Congress should spend more time reviewing legislation and renewing out-of-date issues than passing new legislation. Consider this possibility: 1) Everyone has to read the bill before voting on it 2) The public has a chance to review all legislation and comment on it before it's voted upon. 3) Every bill has an expiration date, at least for the first pass through the system. 4) Each bill can only be for one item, with no riders. We should end up with: 1) A more informed Congress who at least knows what they are voting on...understanding is unfortunately optional. 2) A more informed public who will help inform and guide their representatives in a timely fashion. 3) Congress begins to review laws to see if they are still applicable 3-5 years later. DMCA? Copyright law? 4) Less confusion, clutter, and hidden agendas/projects. This would be a step in that direction and I approve. [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 3 votes 46 pts
18.	It doesn't matter anymore With a pathetic leader like Bush pissing off the entire world to the point that we are just a hair above the "axis of evil" on app... [show more] With a pathetic leader like Bush pissing off the entire world to the point that we are just a hair above the "axis of evil" on approval lists we won't have to worry about reading the laws, we'll have to worry about dealing with the rest of the world turning on us. [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 3 votes 41 pts
19.	What are we voting away? I can't believe that bills up for vote aren't already posted to the internet for review by the average citizen. How are we suppos... [show more] I can't believe that bills up for vote aren't already posted to the internet for review by the average citizen. How are we supposed to let our congressmen know how we feel and how they should vote if we don't know what they're voting on. As far as the congressmen themselves reading each and every bill I don't think this is a viable option. That's what pages are for (well, that and "taking care of" congressmen!). [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 2 votes 30 pts
20.	They know what they vote on. Does the advertising revenue from this new site go to social programs? Government officials know what they are voting on. If I... [show more] Does the advertising revenue from this new site go to social programs? Government officials know what they are voting on. If I were an official, I would be offended to think that citizens believed I was voting on bills before I knew what was in them. Posting bills to the internet to be read by people and what? Turned into message board flame wars. [show less] Add a comment	Vote! 1 votes 20 pts
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Comments | Leave a comment

missmolly 1 year ago

This might actually work if we could also enforce a limit of one item per bill.

Bye-bye pork and every other horrible "rider".

holotone 1 year ago

See also:
In which ways is Democracy inadequate?
http://www.grupthink.com/topic/129

holotone 1 year ago

Can Technology Negate The Need For Representatives & Foster A True Democracy?
http://www.grupthink.com/topic/5293

resymbol 1 year ago

Doesn't this concept assume a basic literacy rate among our elected officials? I think the biggest hurdle in making something like this happen would be the massive training needed to insure literacy.

Topic Details

This topic was started by Q.Random on March 8th, 2007. 57 grupies have voted on one or more of the 20 answers.

Tags: congress, democracy, laws, legislation, rtba

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Could the RTBA (Read the Bills Act) really work?

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Votes by Month

A Sad Testament To The State Of US Politics

Stop Being LAZY! This can work. make it work.

Yes laws MUST be read. Less laws is a good thing!

No more Patriot Acts!

Good luck, but this just isn't a viable option.

Can't hurt anything. Let's do it.

It would work until they figure out how to get around it.

Vote this in 100%

Sunshine is the best disinfectant. - Justice L. Brandeis

Bills will be a lot less wordy anyway.

Utterly Unrealistic

In part, yes; the part about internet publishing

They should start by reading the Constitution first!

Could be good, could be bad.

Other Initiatives Like This Have Failed

Ideally, yeah. Bring it on. Love the Downsize DC. Go Jim Bab

Yes, and goes toward another possible solution.

It doesn't matter anymore

What are we voting away?

They know what they vote on.

Comments | Leave a comment

Topic Details